10

Nov

By Press Release Hub

Panasonic Avionics Corporation (Panasonic) today announced an agreement to supply its advanced global aircraft weather data to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) through the National Mesonet Program.

Panasonic’s proprietary high-resolution atmospheric observations will improve forecasts from the regional and global weather models run by the National Weather Service. Dr. Neil Jacobs, Chief Atmospheric Scientist for Panasonic Weather Solutions, which is part of Panasonic Avionics, “We are very excited to continue our long-term relationship with NOAA to improve the quality of weather forecasting in the United States. The distinct advantages of our aviation-based observational data will enhance NOAA’s mission of protecting life and property.”

TAMDAR data provides observations of wind, temperature, and moisture every 5 seconds as TAMDAR-equipped aircraft descend and ascend at nearly 300 airports across North America. Each day, these take offs and landings provide upwards of 1500 “vertical profiles” in the vicinity of these airports, greatly supplementing the vertical profiles observed with National Weather Service balloons. TAMDAR also provide about 3500 profiles each day from several hundred additional airports located in East Asia, the Pacific, and Europe.

“The National Weather Service has long recognized the utility of TAMDAR data for analysis and numerical forecast models and I’m pleased about this path forward to incorporate these data in our day-to-day operations,” said Louis Uccellini, Ph.D., director of NOAA’s National Weather Service.

“The provision of this unique TAMDAR dataset continues to steer the National Mesonet Program in a direction consistent with the National Academy of Science’s ‘Network of Networks’ vision of a broad range of non-federal data to improve situational awareness at National Weather Service forecast offices and to enhance our high-resolution modeling capabilities,” said Curtis Marshall, Ph.D., National Mesonet Program Manager at the National Weather Service.

The National Mesonet Program is the National Weather Service’s primary program for acquiring meteorological observational data from networks operated by non-federal partners, including the states, academia, and the private sector. Global Science and Technology, Inc. was awarded the most recent umbrella contract, which includes nearly three dozen network partners, including Panasonic’s TAMDAR network.

Panasonic Avionics Corporation’s core weather technology includes:

Tropospheric Airborne Meteorological Data Reporting (TAMDAR) sensor, a small, lightweight device designed to collect sophisticated weather data from the atmosphere during the flight of an aircraft. TAMDAR is installed on a network of hundreds of commercial aircraft. The TAMDAR sensors collect thousands of highly detailed and accurate readings from the atmosphere each day.

The ability to transmit the atmospheric data over Panasonic’s global aeronautical broadband connectivity service and Iridium’s satellite network, in real time, to Panasonic’s data center.

About Panasonic Avionics Corporation
Panasonic Avionics Corporation is the world’s leading supplier of inflight entertainment and communication systems. The company’s best-in-class solutions, supported by professional maintenance services, fully integrate with the cabin enabling its customers to deliver the ultimate travel experiences with a rich variety of entertainment choices, resulting in improved quality communication systems and solutions, reduced time-to-market and lower overall costs.

Established in 1979, Panasonic Avionics Corporation, a U.S. corporation, is a subsidiary of Panasonic Corporation of North America, the principal North American subsidiary of Panasonic Corporation. Headquartered in Lake Forest, California with over 4,100 employees and operations in 80 locations worldwide, it serves over 300 customers worldwide and provides IFEC systems on over 6,000 aircraft. For additional information, please visit www.panasonic.aero.